Day one, they ask everything. Day two, they stop. Not because they figured it out. Because they gave up. Here's how to catch it before the window closes.
This hit, and it also raises the hard truth: we’re putting huge “trust work” expectations on front desk teams who are often underpaid, understaffed, and not truly empowered.
If we want guests to trust hotels again, we have to invest where trust is built: fair pay and staffing, better tools that remove busywork, consistent messaging across channels, and real authority to fix issues in the moment. Otherwise we’re asking frontline teams to carry a brand promise they didn’t create.
This isn’t about asking front desk teams to try harder or magically fix everything. When people are understaffed, underpaid, or stuck following scripts with no real authority, guests feel that right away.
What I’m pointing to here is actually about making their job easier, not harder. Fewer interruptions. Fewer repeat questions. Clearer guidance before guests arrive. Less pressure to “perform trust” on the spot.
Trust isn’t built by heroics at the desk. It’s built when the system does its part. When teams have the time, tools, and permission to help guests instead of constantly reacting.
If we want guests to trust hotels again, the investment has to show up where the interaction happens. Otherwise, we’re asking frontline staff to deliver on promises they didn’t create and aren’t set up to keep.
When you see it in black and white it's so obvious but yet it's not something hotels probably think about as they're so busy with so many different tasks. And the one they should be focussing on, really looking after the guest, gets ignored.
It’s not that hotels don’t care about guests. It’s that the work gets fragmented. So many tasks, systems, alerts, and “must-dos” pile up that the most important thing quietly slips to the background.
What makes this tricky is that “looking after the guest” doesn’t feel like a single task you can check off. It lives in small moments, timing, and attention. The kind of things that are easiest to lose when everyone’s busy just keeping the wheels turning.
Seeing it written out makes it obvious. Seeing it in the moment is much harder. That gap is where the opportunity is.
This hit, and it also raises the hard truth: we’re putting huge “trust work” expectations on front desk teams who are often underpaid, understaffed, and not truly empowered.
If we want guests to trust hotels again, we have to invest where trust is built: fair pay and staffing, better tools that remove busywork, consistent messaging across channels, and real authority to fix issues in the moment. Otherwise we’re asking frontline teams to carry a brand promise they didn’t create.
That’s a fair point, and I’m glad you said it.
This isn’t about asking front desk teams to try harder or magically fix everything. When people are understaffed, underpaid, or stuck following scripts with no real authority, guests feel that right away.
What I’m pointing to here is actually about making their job easier, not harder. Fewer interruptions. Fewer repeat questions. Clearer guidance before guests arrive. Less pressure to “perform trust” on the spot.
Trust isn’t built by heroics at the desk. It’s built when the system does its part. When teams have the time, tools, and permission to help guests instead of constantly reacting.
If we want guests to trust hotels again, the investment has to show up where the interaction happens. Otherwise, we’re asking frontline staff to deliver on promises they didn’t create and aren’t set up to keep.
When you see it in black and white it's so obvious but yet it's not something hotels probably think about as they're so busy with so many different tasks. And the one they should be focussing on, really looking after the guest, gets ignored.
This is a powerful piece you've written.
Thank you. And yes, that’s exactly it.
It’s not that hotels don’t care about guests. It’s that the work gets fragmented. So many tasks, systems, alerts, and “must-dos” pile up that the most important thing quietly slips to the background.
What makes this tricky is that “looking after the guest” doesn’t feel like a single task you can check off. It lives in small moments, timing, and attention. The kind of things that are easiest to lose when everyone’s busy just keeping the wheels turning.
Seeing it written out makes it obvious. Seeing it in the moment is much harder. That gap is where the opportunity is.